


The Scare

by thesmolestnerd



Series: Thorn to the Brain AU [2]
Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F, Head Injury, beginning of relationship, protective kelley, spinoff? of Thorn to the Brian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2019-05-28 05:10:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15041462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesmolestnerd/pseuds/thesmolestnerd
Summary: Kelley freaks out after Alex gets hurt during the Orlando Pride vs Utah Royals.Takes place during my other story Thorn to the Brain (But can be read without.)





	The Scare

**Author's Note:**

> I promised Kellex in TttB, and I didn't deliver. So I wrote this to make it up to you all. I saw a gif of ALex getting hurt and Kelley running over, and all I could think about was how well that would work within the context of TttB. This takes place during the last story.
> 
> It's based on this clip of Kelley making a fucking mad dash for Alex after Alex got hurt:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV8-PcW6-vE

Kelley felt like she was watching it in slow motion. It looked like Alex had run off side when Abby Smith had run into her. Alex hadn’t been looking where she was going, and when Abby slammed into her, she went flying and hit the ground. Her hands came up to hold her head. 

Kelley’s legs were moving before she realized what had happened. Alex rolled on her back and landed on her stomach. Kelley reached back and nearly pushed the ref out of the way. She fell to her knees next to her. Someone was already by her side, tapping her shoulder. She reached over and put both her hands on her shoulders.

“Alex,” she said. Alex groaned. “Hey, please tell me that you’re okay?” 

“Fuck, my head,” said Alex. Kelley held out a breath that she didn’t know she was holding. 

“Thank God,” she said. More members of the Pride started coming up to them. Kelley rubbed her back. “Hey, you’ll be okay.” Alex groaned. Kelley got up and walked back to her team. The ref stopped her and asked her something. Kelley just nodded. She stood back and bit her lip as she watched the trainers and Alex’s teammates swarm her. 

Even though Christen and Tobin were never officially out as couple, but they were super close. People didn’t really question Christen’s reaction, at least, no more than they questioned most of their other interactions. But it was different with Kelley. Rumors had been circulating ever since Alex and Servando had broken up. Kelley didn’t want to give any fuel to the fire. 

But watching Alex in pain didn’t do much for that. She wanted to run over there and hold her. All she could think about was what happened Tobin. The look on Christen’s face. Tobin on her side in the fetal position. Her first seizure. The most recent time she had a seizure. God…if that happened to Alex. 

As Alex sat up, relief flooded through Kelley’s chest. She rubbed her face. 

“Thank God,” she said. One of Kelley’s teammates patted her shoulder.

“You okay?” she asked. Kelley nodded. 

“Yeah.” Alex took a drink of water from the trainer. She watched as the trainers pulled her up and sighed. The whistle blew.

Kelley’s head snapped up. She ran back to her position.  
************************************************************************************  
Alex didn’t come back in the second half. And all that ran through Kelley’s mind was her in the hospital and her in the ICU and her alone and…

Somehow Kelley found her way into the Pride’s locker room and into the trainer area.

The room wasn’t large. There were a couple of cots and the ice baths in one corner. On one of the padded exam tables was…

“Alex?” She lifted the ice pack from the side of her head and looked over.

“Kelley?” she said. Kelley ran over and threw her arms around her. 

“Watch where you’re going next time,” snapped Kelley. Alex winced. Kelley let go of her and took a step back. She softened her face at Alex’s expression. “Fuck. You could’ve gotten really hurt, dumbass.”

“Yeah, I know it was dumb. I’m fine,” Alex said. “I don’t even have a concussion. Just a bruise.” Kelley narrowed her eyes at her. “Squirrelly…I’m fine.” Alex reached out and grabbed Kelley’s hand. She squeezed her fingers and ran Kelley’s hand over the side of her head and through her hair. “See…just a bump.” Kelley sighed. 

“You scared the fuck out of me,” said Kelley. 

“It’s not—”

“It could have been like what Tobin,” she said. “That could happen to any of us. Especially you since you don’t watch where you’re going!” Kelley swatted at her arm. 

“Kelley, relax,” said Alex. “Why are you so upset? I’m messed up about what happened to Tobin too but…”

“You’re my---you—I care about you, Alex,” said Kelley. Something seemed to dawn on Alex. Her jaw dropped a little. Kelley’s heart jumped into her throat.

“Kelley…?” asked Alex. Fear creeped up her spine.

“I’m really glad you’re okay,” said Kelley. “I’m going to go…” Kelley turned around and dashed out.

“Wait!” said Alex. Kelley ran back to her locker room.   
********************************************************************************  
Conceivably, Kelley could just avoid Alex until camp. And at camp everyone was going to be so busy with Christen that maybe she wouldn’t even have a chance to talk to Kelley because she’d be too busy with Christen. Perfect plan. Maybe Alex would just let it all go. Yeah. She would totally. 

Kelley’s phone vibrated. She pulled her phone from the front pocket of her duffle bag. Eleven missed texts and three calls from Baby Horse. Kelley put her phone back in her pocket. It’s fine. Everything is fine.

“Hey, are you okay?” asked Becky Sauerbrunn. Kelley looked up at her at the bus seat in front of her. 

“Oh, yeah. Everything’s great,” she said. “Fantastic.” Becky raised an eyebrow at her. “How’s Alex doing?”

“Alex? Oh, yeah. She’s fine. Great. I mean, she’s not concussed so, yeah…that’s good,” said Kelley. Becky nodded. 

“Okay…” she said. Kelley’s phone started to vibrate.

“Are you going to get that?” Becky asked. Kelley crossed her legs and shrugged. 

“I don’t hear anything,” said Kelley. Becky shook her head and pulled her headphones back on. Kelley slunk down in her seat. Kelley reached over and pulled her phone out. She looked down at the text.

Press: What happened with you and Alex? She’s been asking me if I’d heard from you. 

Kelley shut her phone off and put it down. She sighed and rubbed her face. She picked up her phone again. She pulled up the first voicemail.

“Hey, Kel. It’s Alex. Look, can we, like, meet up somewhere before you leave Florida? We really need to talk. I’m not mad or anything. I just… Please call me back, Kelley.” 

Kelley sighed and looked at her phone. She pulled up the message app and texted Alex. 

Me: Where do you want to meet?   
*********************************************************************************  
Kelley knocked on the door of Alex’s apartment. She shushed and rocked back and forth on the heels of her feet. 

“You can do this,” muttered Kelley. “You can do this. You got this. You got this, Kelley.” She didn’t hear any footsteps. Kelley leaned forward and leaned her ear against the door. 

With no warning, the door opened, and Kelley tumbled forward into Alex’s arms. 

“Hey?” said Alex. Kelley righted herself.

“Hey,” she said.

“I’m sorry,” they both said at the same time.

“Just…come in,” Alex said. Kelley nodded. 

Alex’s apartment was…pretty generic and kind of empty.

“Servando kept most of the stuff in the divorce,” she said. Kelley nodded. “Do you want something to drink?” Kelley shook her head. “Water? Coffee? Beer?” Kelley shook her head. Alex sat down on a couch and gestured for Kelley to sit across from her. Kelley sat down. Alex ran her hand through her hair. 

“How’s your head?” asked Kelley after a eat of silence. Alex smiled hollowly. 

“It’s fine. I’m fine,” Alex said. “Are you okay?” Kelley nodded.

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” she asked. Alex opened and closed her mouth. 

“Kelley, do you like me?” asked Alex. Kelley felt her heart jump up in her throat.

“No,” she deadpanned. She gave Alex a weak smile.

“Kelley…” said Alex again. 

 

“Alex…don’t make me. I-I can’t make this weird. You’re my best friend,” she said. Alex raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly. 

“Okay…” said Alex. She paused. “I’m not married to Serv anymore.” 

“Okay,” said Kelley. “Is that…is this way you—”

“No,” said Alex. “I just…I loved him at one point. I still like men…I just…I like you too.” Kelley felt her head sore into her throat and blood rush to her head. Oh God. 

“You like me?” squeaked Kelley. “Like as in romantic? Like you’re in lesbians with me.” Alex smiled and shook her head. She walked over to Kelley and leaned in front of her. Alex pressed her lips to hers. 

Kelley’s brain was screaming. Was this a joke? Was this a dream? God, if it was, she never wanted to wake up. 

Alex pulled back. 

“Does that answer your question?”

**Author's Note:**

> The full actual sequel of TttB is going to be written...at some point...
> 
> I'm working on 3 stories that I already have started right now. After I finish a couple of those I'm going to start on some others probably the Pricefield LIS fanfiction I've been wanting to write forever now, a Clexa Overwatch League/esports AU, and then the sequel for this. So yeah...it might be...a while...
> 
> But thanks for reading, and I hope you stick with me.


End file.
